page_title: Tribute penny
hierarchical_section_title: Tribute penny
caption_attribution_description: English: Group 4 Denarius (18&#160;AD - 35&#160;AD) of Tiberius (Roman emperor (Emperor 14&#160;AD - 37&#160;AD), also sometimes referred to as a Tribute Penny. Obverse: TI[berivs] CAESAR DIVI AVG[vsti] F[ilivs] AVGVSTS (Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the Divine Augustus) Reverse: PONTIF[ex] MAXIM[us] (The greatest bridge-builder) - Livia seated holding inverted spear and olive branch. Catalogue: Sear (1964) - 467 When Jesus was asked whether or not it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, he requested that he be shown a coin. He then asked whose image appeared on the coin. On being told that it was Ceasar's, he replied "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's". It has been postulated &#91;1&#93; that a coin of this type was the coin handed to Jesus.
context_page_description: The tribute penny was the coin that was shown to Jesus when he made his famous speech "Render unto Caesar..." The phrase comes from the King James Version of the gospel account: Jesus is asked, "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" and he replies, "bring me a penny, that I may see it".
  The Pharisee or "spy" asking Jesus whether to pay Roman taxes/tribute is attempting to entrap him into admitting his opposition to doing so. But Jesus also opposes Roman coinage and the money given by Rome to colluders like the Pharisees. So upon seeing that the coin is a "tribute penny", Jesus avoids the trap by saying to give it back to Caesar, because it is his anyway.
  The Greek text uses the word dēnarion, and it is usually thought that the coin was a Roman denarius with the head of Tiberius. It is this coin that is sold and collected as the "tribute penny", and the Gospel story is an important factor in making this coin attractive to collectors. The inscription reads "Ti[berivs] Caesar Divi Avg[vsti] F[ilivs] Avgvstvs", claiming that after death Augustus had become a god. The reverse shows a seated female, usually identified as Livia depicted as Pax.
context_section_description: The tribute penny was the coin that was shown to Jesus when he made his famous speech "Render unto Caesar..." The phrase comes from the King James Version of the gospel account: Jesus is asked, "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" (Mark 12:14) and he replies, "bring me a penny, that I may see it" (Mark 12:15).
  The Pharisee or "spy" asking Jesus whether to pay Roman taxes/tribute is attempting to entrap him into admitting his opposition to doing so. But Jesus also opposes Roman coinage and the money given by Rome to colluders like the Pharisees. So upon seeing that the coin is a "tribute penny", Jesus avoids the trap by saying to give it back to Caesar, because it is his anyway.
  The Greek text uses the word dēnarion, and it is usually thought that the coin was a Roman denarius with the head of Tiberius. It is this coin that is sold and collected as the "tribute penny", and the Gospel story is an important factor in making this coin attractive to collectors. The inscription reads "Ti[berivs] Caesar Divi Avg[vsti] F[ilivs] Avgvstvs" ("Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the Divine Augustus"), claiming that after death Augustus had become a god. The reverse shows a seated female, usually identified as Livia depicted as Pax.
  However, it has been suggested that denarii were not in common circulation in Judaea during Jesus' lifetime and that the coin was more probably an Antiochan tetradrachm bearing the head of Tiberius, with Augustus on the reverse. Another suggestion often made is the denarius of Augustus with Gaius and Lucius on the reverse, while coins of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Germanicus are all considered possibilities.
  A similar episode occurs in the Gospel of Thomas (verse 100), but there the coin in question is gold.
caption: Denarius of the Emperor Tiberius, commonly referred to as the Tribute Penny.
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